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Dear Sisters, Friends, May the Lord Give You Peace! Franciscan

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Dear Sisters, Friends, May the Lord Give You Peace! Franciscan 16 May Celebrating the 275 years of the death of our Founder, Fr. Joseph Anthony "Reawaken Marcheselli, we intensify our prayers for every sister in the Institute, so that we may the word ... always become more worthy children of such a Father, for a renewed commitment of a with the Gospel holy life, for a more significant presence in the Church and in the world. Let us also pray for of joy" the laity who share the charism in many ways, so that they can joyfuly live in communion May –June with the Sisters with whom they have in common the spiritual journey and the journey of friendship. 2017 From the Testament of our beloved Fr. Marcheselli, we read: “Finally, I beg you not to forget the one who has written it. Pray for him during his lifetime, that he may be able to live that which he has written. Pray for him during his death, that the Lord out of his great mercy may grant him a place with him. Pray for him after death, so that when he leaves purgatory he may go to that most holy land, and have that highest contentment, of seeing you all entering, full of merit, and sanctity; and destined his head to be your footstool. So be it. Laus Deo” (Writtings, 298-299). What desire of sanctity had spurred our Founder! Him, who led a life of ascetism and very high sanctity, desired a lot more for us, to such an extent of asking to become “our footstool”, for that sanctity of life that will accompany us to God’s presence. Dear Sisters, Friends, may the Lord give you peace! “A true missionary is a saint” says St. John Paul II in Redemptoris Missio; the message is clear, today, as it was yesterday, On 16 May we celebrate the 275 years of the birth of our Founder in heaven, Fr Joseph Anthony Marcheselli. our task is to commit ourselves in order to realise the dream of our Founder, which is God’s dream: see to it that you When he was alive, his dream was that of seeing a small gathering that is composed of holy souls, who are all lead a holy life. Therefore, we can celebrate the 275 years accompanied by the gift that we wish to give to our beloved dedicated to prayer, contemplation and works of mercy. In his death, he wished to see his sisters enter in paradise Founder: to be holy! full of merit, radiant with sanctity. In reality, our history talks of truly holy Sisters, who had laid a solid foundation to a charism that continues to become even more beautiful, thanks to these lives that were truly given, of truly consecrated women. With this inherited richness, our Small Gatherings worldwide continue to fuel the lamp that was lit by Fr. Marcheselli, for it to be a light to the many people whom the Lord entrusts in our care and whom he allows us to journey with towards the realization of His project of Love. The light has become warmer from the moment the many brothers and sisters had enriched the charism with their deisre for knowledge and embellished with their lives of affective charity. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! 16 June We dedicate this day of prayer and missionary commitment to the sisters in the Italian Province, in their commitment towards the opening of new missions in favour of the later. The new small gatherings that will spring up may be new seedbeds of sanctity shared with others. The sisters of Zagabria The Italian Province, which is the mother Province of the Institute, has a story of grace and blessings which many Humanitarian action for a child .... generations of holy sisters have passed through, those who had laid a foundation of a spiritual reality that has continued to give a good scent to the Church of God. Today, the Province is composed of “Small Gatherings” which take “Make your day sweet with the cakes made by us, make Tonkica happy, a wonderful on the spirit of the Founders of bearing witness to fraternity, service and prayer, in a Church that seeks to become more child!” These words were used as a message that accompanied this humanitarian action alive and present, on the journey of the New Evangelization, which calls for a true “conversion in order to convert”. in favour of Tonkica, a child who belongs to the group that is prepariing to receive the first The needs of the Church in Italy are many, and in the same way the requests of new presences are equally on the communion. With the help of our sisters, the children as well as the parents were increase, especially at the service of the most needy. The Province is doing everything possible to try and give adequate involved. The mothers had prepared cakes whereas the children made cards with their responses, while discerning on which ones are most urgent. Let us unite in prayer, asking the Spirit to enlighten us on the own designs, while the sisters displayed the cakes at the end of each Mass on Sunday at choices that the Province will have to give. the parish; all this was done for the little girl Tonkica. The child is aged 10 and she has twice been the victim of ictus. Right now she is in hospital where she is undergoing rehabilitation, at a fee. We as sisters, are helping the parents spiritually. They are grateful Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi and they always say: “Thanks you, thanks for your closeness, for your prayers, which Via San Francesco, 13 - 06081 Assisi Tel. e Fax: 075/816825 - e-mail: [email protected] grant us the strength to go on with joy. We feel the closeness that comes from heaven when you are in our lives”. We also thank God because he gives us in order for us to help We are present: Italy - Corea - Cina - Russia - Zambia - USA - Cuba - Malawi - Filippines - Croatia - Kenya Tonkita durante -Romania - Mexico - Moldavia - Indonesia - Argentina - Japan - Brazil - San Marino - Germany - Vietnam others, and we continue asking him to make us “True Instruments of his peace”, thanking la riabilitazione. him for having chosen us to give this true witness of consecrated life, the rehabilitation. 8 by Nadia Roscini Quite differently from overflowing that may his predecessor, Barak occur at the mining Obama (very active sites, pipe or gas lines. fighting pollution, who All this to the delight of signed, with 195 the oil tycoons! Countries, the COP21 Obviously all estimates Agreement to reduce of the social costs green house gas) Mr. involved, which justified Trump blatantly said he Obama’s environmental has no intention to policies shall be revised , respect the Agreement, due to “lack of this means the transparency” by Sr. Anna Uyen and Sr. Maria Nhung, from Vietnam cancellation of the During the year 2009 Agreement itself. president Obama’s The first three young women who did their novitiate in we now feel like sisters who are beginning their Ironically, this happened at the Headquarters of EPA, the administration asked a number of agencies to give the Philippines have gone back to Vietnam and they missionary life with responsibility, as Franciscans called American Agency for the protection of the environment. estimates of the social cost caused by a ton of CO2 (with share with us their desire to be missionaries among to love the poor. This is the end of all previous commitments taken by Mr. reference to the damage of either draught, flooding or their own people. We started working a day after our arrival, at the Parish Obama. such extreme events due to global warming. In 2015 the In view of the above, let’s try to examine the key points of cost was estimated at 36 US dollars. For many experts this “It’s like a dream. Four years ago, we started the Centre where they take care of children. The majority of this presidential decree. figure should be reviewed upwards, while Mr. Trump’s postulancy, followed by the novitiate in the Philippines, these children come from poor families, or devastated Revision of the Clean Power Plan (which aimed to reduce policy is ready to lower it as it considers only the damages a really joyous period, despite the challenges of having families and they need a lot of love and care to enable by 32% the level of emissions as of 2005 within the year caused in the USA, not those at global level. to adapt to the new culture, a new language and them feel part of a bigger family. In response to Pope 2030). However, in the opinion of some observers, many of the pastoral experience in Korea, with yet another new Francis, we shall continue to accompany, take care, and Revision of the law issued by Mr. Obama which compelled measures taken by Obama are so intertwined into the all new plants to significantly reduce CO2 emissions. The economic tissue of the USA that they might be weakened, language. Thereafter, there was a great moment of offer good and quality education to these children so that law in fact made it hardly possible to build new energy not cancelled. our lives, the day when we made our vows in the hands they can become active citizens in our society and that plants because of the excessive costs involved (CO2 was In fact many Companies are in the process of changing to of Sr. Martha, the Provincial Superior. We say they can experience the love of God through our humble to be separated and stored underground).
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